Career Services

The Job Search, From Marketing Strategy to Compensation Negotiation

A successful job search doesn't just happen--it takes planning, thought, and work. We'll help you understand the steps you need to take to go from the basics of deciding what sort of job you're looking for to establishing what salary level you should negotiate for when a job is offered.

Getting Ready

A key aspect of your job search is having a marketing strategy. Typically in marketing you are selling a product.

In this case the product is none other than YOU; that unique person crafted by God to provide some specific contribution to the world He created.

We Use College Central

Is your résumé ready? Are you satisfied that it “sells” you? Are you comfortable handing it to an employer? Let us help you create that “perfect for you” résumé. What about your cover letter?

Where (both business wise and location) are you interested in working? Do some research! Know about the companies you are applying to.

A targeted job search is the best way. Just sending résumés out to anyone and everyone will probably not lead you to the place you want to be. A great resource for this is the College Central website.

Resume & Cover Letter

The importance of a good résumé and cover letter can hardly be understated. Our guide takes you through the process of assembling an effective résumé and writing a good cover letter and gives examples of good samples.

Researching Companies

Your ability to tailor your résumé and cover letter for a specific job within a company will require you to know as much as possible about the company, organization and position. Your willingness to do research demonstrates interest and enthusiasm and that you understand the process and are contributing to enabling yourself and the interviewer to evaluate the potential match effectively.

Employers will tell you that candidates who have done their homework are better able to discuss how their experiences and qualifications match company needs and prepare the candidates to discuss how they can make an immediate contribution to the organization. The candidate who can do this is typically the candidate who gets the job offer. To begin your search, visit the career center and seek out resources that will assist you in the research process.

Networking

Among the most underrated aspects of a job search, good networking skills are some of the most effective tools for finding and securing good jobs. Learn how to network effectively.

Interviewing

The Job Offer

BEFORE you accept the job offer, you need to be prepared! Have you prepared a budget? You’ll need this to know what level of a salary you are willing/able to accept. What is the typical salary range for this particular job… in the area you are applying?

There are a number of places you can go to find such information, such as:

Your salary is just a part of your total compensation. You should be prepared to understand what things you consider important to include in your total compensation package; health benefits, vacation and holidays, retirement plan, 401k, incentives, sign-on bonus, insurance, and any other perquisites that might be pertinent to your acceptance of an offer. Always look for a job offer in writing and be prepared to ask for a period of time to review the offer.

Also be aware of how you felt during the interview. Were there any red flags? Anything that made you think this might not be a good match? Remember you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you.

Spending some time on this aspect of the job search is just as important as the others. If you don’t have this information, you risk accepting a job that you’ll later regret.